Fashion Week LA 2008 Bows as IMG and Smashbox Part Ways
Mandy Moore hosts 11th annual “Fresh Faces in Fashion” amid announcements of upheaval in Los Angeles’ own version of fashion week
By Stacey Silberman
No more Fashion Week in LA?
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 10/12/08 – Los Angeles Fashion is off to an interesting start this year as longtime host Smashbox announces its upcoming split from IMG World following the Spring 2009 Mercedes Benz fashion show that boasts a line-up of 23 shows in its remote Culver City venue.
Smashbox, a primarily-photo studio run by Max Factor makeup mogul’s offspring Davis Factor, had been considered too small for some designer shows at MBFW. The hottest runway events were perpetually overcrowded and Culver City Police and Fire Marshals controlled the gates as much as the presenters. Also IMG charges were too high for some smaller Los Angeles designers, who don’t have Armani-type income, so those designers were going to alternative events to show their wares.
It’s customary now for Gen Art to informally kick-off L.A. fashion week after presenting its annual “Fresh Faces In Fashion” show. This year the event featured 12 newly hatched L.A. designers at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Friday, Oct. 10.
The runway show featured hipster designs that celebrate youth a’ la city of Angels. This was how the line up was shown.
Beginning with an introduction by event producers and hosted by singer and actress Mandy Moore, designers were given the opportunity to show their wares to the sounds of DJ Jasepi. Professional models with stilt legs walked to blaring music in newly released styles by Nanushka, Quail, Wayne Hadley, Peonie, Wayf, KZO, Laeken, and Maxine Dillon.
Laeken and Dillon’s lines particularly caught our eye. For information on the newly budding designers go to the Gen Art website.
The lines clearly catered to the young 20-something hipster showing short-cropped dresses, sexy shorts, edgy vests, men’s shorts , suits, as well as a bathing suit line showed on the runway.
Accessory designers Jerome C. Rousseau, Azature, Laura Kranitz, and POSSO were showcased with installations at the venue. Rousseau’s couture shoe line showed some new and interesting designs that caught the eye of Hollywood Today.
“We are extremely excited to have Blackberry and T-Mobile returning as our lead partners, not only for our L.A. Fresh Faces show, but also for our recent New York and Chicago fashion week presentations. The sophistication and credibility of their brands and products align with Gen Art and the expectations of our consumer audience,” said Gen Art CEO Ian Gerard.
The designers participated in a first class professionally produced fashion show sponsored by Blackberry and T-Mobile. Also contributing to the event were ACURA, American Express, Baileys, Ecco Domaine, FIJI Water, LA.COM, LAWEEKLY, MAC, Los Angeles Magazine, MOSS ADAMS, Tone, UNITE, and W Hotels.
Gen Art has showcased top designers who’ve gone on to achieve unparalleled success in a very competitive market place. Some of the designers featured in the past are Zac Posen, Shoshanna, Eduardo Lucero, and Louis Verdad.
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios now set to Kick Off Sunday.
Beginning Sunday, Oct. 12, Smashbox steps up into Los Angeles fashion week alongside current partner IMG after 10 seasons of partnering, but announces that the end has come for the partnership.
“We’ve been together in the L.A. market for five years,” Davis Factor told the Los Angeles Times. “My opinion is that they just didn’t have the time to dedicate toward cultivating this event on a year-round basis. Nothing against IMG, but I think that New York is their big focus and it’s difficult with everything they have going on all over the world. It would be hard for them to do L.A. on the level they do New York (as) my brother and I can.”
At this point, Smashbox has 23 shows lined-up from Sunday to Thursday, Oct. 16. But the event has not grown at the rate expected by co-founders Davis and Dean Factor. Comparatively, New York fashion week features upwards of 81 shows over an eight-day period.
There have been complaints in the Los Angeles community about the venue of the Culver City based event because it is neither convenient nor supportive of most designers who tend to be based in downtown L.A.
Factor admitted that the situation arose about six months ago while discussing the venue’s plans for the future. “We talked about moving it out of Smashbox, possibly downtown or possibly to Hollywood, to take it to the next level, and at the end of the day I don’t think IMG was ready to do that,” Factor said.
Despite the separation, Factor said Smashbox is committed to Los Angeles Fashion Week and will announce further plans in a few months.
“We don’t have a location secured yet, but I’m not looking downtown. I want it to be in Hollywood,” Factor said. “Hollywood embraces the city of Los Angeles, there’s so much creative stuff to take advantage of here. The red carpet, costume design, stylists, and everything from the surf industry to Maxfield’s. We’ve gotten Fashion Week to the level that people are paying attention to it. Now we’ve got to take it to the next level. We haven’t been doing that.”
Here is a current schedule of the Smashbox 2009 Fall Line-up:
Download a printable schedule »
Sunday, Oct 12
4 PM KEVAN HALL
Main Tent
6 PM SUH-TAHN
Stage One
7 PM SHEIKI COLLECTIONS
Lightbox
8 PM WHITLEY KROS
Main Tent
Monday, Oct 13
4 PM ED HARDY PRESENTS STREET FAME
BY CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER
Main Tent
6 PM JULIA CLANCEY
Stage One
7 PM BEACH BUNNY SWIMWEAR
Lightbox
8 PM ELMER AVE
Main Tent
Tuesday, Oct 14
2 PM D’AMORE BY MARCEAU
Stage One
3 PM VIRIDIS LUXE
Lightbox
4 PM LANA FUCHS
Main Tent
6 PM JOSEPH DOMINGO
Stage One
7 PM CRISPIN & BASILIO
Lightbox
8 PM LAUREN CONRAD COLLECTION
Main Tent
Wednesday, Oct 15
6 PM ECO-GANIK
Stage One
7 PM DEBRA DAVENPORT
Lightbox
8 PM CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER PRESENTS AMERICAN LORD
Main Tent
Thursday, Oct 16
2 PM LEILA HAFZI
Stage One
3 PM NONJA MCKENZIE
Lightbox
4 PM TULLE & CLOTH LOGIC
Main Tent
6 PM SAMORA
Stage One
7 PM AMELIA TORO
Lightbox
8 PM THE GREEN INITIATIVE HUMANITARIAN FASHION SHOW
presented by The Gallery Los Angeles
featuring Marymee, ecoSkin and Smart Glass
Main Tent
All shows by invite only